XN000022-1986-01-31 — Page 4

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1986

HE SAID: +THIS WILL REFLECT MORE ACCURATELY THE NATURE OF THE ORDINANCE WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONS OF THE TWO

UNICIPAL COUNCILS, I.E. THE URDAN COUNCIL AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, +

THE THREE BILLS WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CONCURRENTLY ON FEBRUARY 5 AND IT IS EXPECTED THAT THEY WILL BE ENACTED BEFORE MARCH 31 AND COME INTO OPERATION ON APRIL 1.

79 CANDIDATES FOR UC AND RC ELECTIONS

***

A TOTAL OF 79 CANDIDATES REPRESENTING A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON MARCH 6.

THEY WILL CONTEST THE 27 SEATS IN THE ELECTIONS, 15 FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL AND 12 FOR THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.

DAY

A TOTAL OF 1 441 540 PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE ON ELECTION AND A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION REMINDED ELECTORS THAT THEY CAN ONLY CAST THEIR VOTES IN THE CONSTITUENCY IN WHICH THEY ARE REGISTERED.

TWO CANDIDATES WERE DECLARED ELECTED AS THEIR NOMINATIONS WERE UNCONTESTED. THEY ARE MR PAO PING-WING IN THE KOWLOON CITY EAST CONSTITUENCY OF THE URBAN COUNCIL ELECTION, AND MR WONG MAN-TAI IN THE KWAI CHUNG WEST AND TSING Y! CONSTITUENCY OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTION.

OF THE 79 CANDIDATES, 72 ARE MEN AND SEVEN ARE WOMEN WHOSE AGES RANGE FROM 25 TO 72. THE MAJORITY ARE PROFESSIONALS (19 OR 24 PER CENT), FOLLOWED BY EDUCATIONISTS (18 OR 22.8 PER CENT) AND BUSINESSMEN (17 OR 21.5 PER CENT). OTHERS VYING FOR SEATS IN THE TWO COUNCIL ELECTIONS INCLUDE SOCIAL WORKERS (15 OR 19 PER CENT), HOUSEWIVES (2 OR 2.5 PER CENT) AND OTHERS (8 OR 10 PER CENT).

THE MAJORITY OF CANDIDATES ARE YOUNG CIVIC-MINDED PERSONS WITH 10 IN THE 21 TO 30 AGE GROUP AND 36 IN THE 31 TO 40 AGE BRACKET. THE REMAINING 33 CANDIDATES ARE AGED BETWEEN 41 AND 72.

THE THREE MOST KEENLY CONTESTED CONSTITUENCIES IN THE URBAN COUNCIL ELECTION ARE SHAU KEI WAN, MONG KOK AND KOWLOON CITY WEST EACH WITH FOUR CANDIDATES VYING FOR ONE SEAT.

IN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTION, SIX CANDIDATES ARE VYING FOR ONE SEAT IN THE YUEN LONG CONSTITUENCY, WHILE FIVE ARE COMPETING IN THE SHA TIN EAST CONSTITUENCY.

/THE FOLLOWING